Literature

In studying American poet Emily Dickinson, it is impossible to separate the woman from the words. As a woman in 19th century America, she presented an individualized idea of philosophy and religion that pervaded her poetic sense and religious obligations. While a strong believer in the power of Christ and a lifelong adherent to the notions of Protestantism that defined 19th century New England, Dickinsons religion was a far more personal affair. In her poem  Some keep the Sabbath  Dickinson highlight the integral part the individual plays in their own salvation while also condemning a solely organized notion of Christianity. Through her belief in self atonement and worship, she presents a nonconforming ideal in the role religion plays within the individuals life.
    Simple in meter and length, like many of Dickinsons pieces, this poem explains her belief in a deeply interrelation between the lives we live and the presence of God in our lives. While many people believe that part of religion and worshiping God entails attending church services, and in some cases this is both the beginning and the end of their devotions, Dickinsons church is the world around her. For Dickinson, church attendance is superfluous and undermines the basic tenets of faith that guide her life. Her church is the world itself,  with a bobolink for a chorister, And an orchard for a dome  (Dickinson, ll. 3-4). She does not need nor desire the trappings of a building designated for the purpose of worship because in her eyes God has already provided this in the Earth itself. As critic Roxanne Harde explains in her examination of the role Christianity played in Dickinsons body of work, the poet refused  to look past Earth in order to focus only on the end of things  (317). Our earthly lives are in themselves part of the cycle of salvation. The material manifestations of religion, in the ritual evident in even the most simple of congregations are simply distractions from the deeper connection all men share to their creator.
    Dickinsons liberal views of religion are not misplaced within her time period, where  while rooted in Amhersts orthodox Calvinism, the poet was exposed to a variety of religious trends, including those in which women play a lead role  (Harde, 320). This allowed her to see beyond the image of religion, in the clergy and ceremony of organized  worship to proclaim her own individual connection to God,  God preaches, - a noted clergyman  (ll.9). Kris Fresonke explains that the changes and hypocrisy in womens role in religion during the 19th century had a great influence on Dickinsons own nonconformist religious beliefs,  Protestant churches released women -to activism, to power, to the larger world ... And women flocked to them in large, faithful numbers, always outnumbering men  (189). This integration into the larger understanding of religion allowed Dickinson to operate outside of the traditional views of worship, finding God within herself rather than without,  So instead of getting to heaven at last. Im going all along  (ll.12).
    While working in the traditions of her time, Dickinsons belief in the individualism integral to her worship of God is unique. She does not deny the existence of God but rather in embracing Christianity as part of the whole of her life, her faith is deepened. More importantly, through not relying on the mechanics of organized religion, she attains a connection that goes past the afterlife. She is able to embrace a concept of heaven on earth, as she sees herself not as separated from the divine in her physical state but merely another component in the overall workings of religion. In this she is able to embrace not only the concept of Christ and God but also her own importance within the greater scheme of life.